Kim Harris

My story is one of navigating the unexpected twists and turns that life throws our way, from grappling with surgery, endometriosis and infertility to embracing the chaotic beauty of raising premature twins.

My journey began with a sudden detour when I was faced with needing ovarian surgery. The experience was a profound test of my strength and resilience as I dealt with fear and uncertainty. Little did I know this was just the beginning of a series of trials that would shape the course of my life.

As my partner and I dreamt of starting a family, we were confronted with the harsh reality of infertility. Our journey through IVF was marked by a rollercoaster of emotions, yet through it all, we persevered to realise our dream of parenthood in 2001.

Just when we thought our journey was on course, we went for an ultrasound at 26 weeks that would turn our world on its head. Twin A (Madison) had reverse blood flow and was significantly smaller than Twin B (Tallara). We spent 4 weeks attending Liverpool Hospital for monitoring and testing of Madison, Tallara was just cruising along. At 30 weeks the doctors decided our twins would be delivered via c-section. We were blessed with the arrival of our girls, welcoming them into the world was a whirlwind of emotions – joy, fear, and overwhelming love. They both spent 6 weeks in Liverpool Hospital NICU and SCN, fortunately they only ever had minor setbacks, although at the time these setbacks were terrifying.

We brought our girls home with Madison still only weighing 1.5kg and Tallara 2.5kg. Navigating the complexities of raising our premature girls tested every fibre of our being, but it also brought profound moments of grace and gratitude.

Today, almost 23 years later our next challenge with our beautiful daughters will be letting them go as they are both getting married next year. For me, a self proclaimed “helicopter mum” it is now time to finally land so they can fly on their own.

I am looking forward to using my lived in experience to help improve the experience of other NICU families.